ht coolness arose between them it never continued
long, as they had too many common bonds of interest.

Both girls were charmingly pretty and an entire contrast. Sally Ashton's
eyes and hair were brown, her lips full with an up-ward curve and her
skin, which the sun and wind never seemed to tan, as soft and white as a
baby's. She was small and plump and her figure had no angles.

One might have been deluded by Sally's yielding and feminine appearance
into the impression that she could be easily influenced by stronger
natures than her own. The fact is that Sally was never really influenced
except when she chose to be.

Realizing this, Mrs. Burton made no effort to interrupt her friendship
with Gerry Williams, which was just as well since nothing is more
difficult than to interfere with a friendship between two girls who feel
a mutual attraction and see each other frequently.

Gerry Williams' prettiness was of a more unusual character. She had the
delicate fairness which one so rarely sees in its perfection. Her hair
was a pale gold, yet the gold was undeniably there. Her eyes were light
blue and held the clearness, the indelible, transparent blueness of
certain pieces of rare old china. Her small head was set upon a rather
long fair throat and as she walked with a peculiar lightness and grace
it was almost as if she might at any moment break into dancing steps.
About Gerry's nature there were elements which were frankly commonplace,
nevertheless her appearance suggested one of the dancing figures upon an
ancient Greek frieze.

This morning she and Sally wore their everyday Camp Fire costumes, and
because it was cool their Navajo sweater coats, Gerry's a bright scarlet
and Sally's an Oxford blue. They intended being away all day, and
besides Gerry's sketching outfit they carried their luncheon.

The girls had chosen to go in the direction of the artists' colony only
a few miles away. Over both the water and land there was the haze of the
early hours at the seaside, and yet the mist was only a light one and
more agreeable than the hot sun which would come later in the day.

The land was gay with flowers. On the hillside there were tall bunches
of cacti, one variety bearing a bright yellow flower like a silken
poppy. The ordinary jimson weed grew so large that each blossom looked
like a great white lily.

On the side toward the beach the tiny beads of water glistening amid the
rose color of the ice plants shone like